Color selector for shuttle changing looms



Dec.28, 1937. A. CEDERLUND I 2,103,767

COLOR SELECTOR FOR SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOMS I Filed Nov. 4, 193 6 2 Sheets-Sheet'l I I Inventor Albert Cederiund. 6 :7

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Dec. 28,: 1937. A. CEDERLUND 2,103,767

COLOR SELECTOR FOR SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOMS Filed Nov. 4, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

s r g d- 4 Inventor AWert Ledermnd Patented Dec. 28, 1937 COLOR SELECTOR FOR SHUTTLE CHANG- ING LOOMS Albert Oederlund, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 4, 1936, Serial No. 109,098

6 Claims.

5 shuttle corresponding to a depleted weaving shuttle.

Multicolor shuttle changing looms operate with a gang of shifting shuttle boxes cooperating with a group of weaving shuttles any one of which may the pattern being woven. A magazine having groups of distinctive reserve shuttles operates in association with a weft detector mechanism to re place a depleted shuttle with a similar reserve shuttle drawn from the corresponding stack or group of the magazine. In order that the selected reserve shuttle may correspond to the shuttle being replaced it is necessary to employ a selector mechanism which operates in conjunction with the weft detecting mechanism to effect a correct shuttle changing operation.

In co-pending application Serial No. 42,375 there is shown a loom operating with four weaving shuttles and a magazine to supply reserve shuttles of four'distinctive types. In that application the color selector mechanism is such that occasional uncertainty in the release of a reserve shuttle results because of the manner'in which certain parts in the train of shuttle releasing mechanism cooperate with each other.

It is an important object of my present invention to provide a shuttle releaser movable about an axis substantially parallel to the shuttle and actuated by a trip element or the like which derives its motion from a lever movable preferably about the axis of the release member. In this way there is no relative motion between the arm of the release member and the actuator therefor during the releasing of a reserve shuttle and the latter is therefore delivered with greater certainty than hasheretofore been possible.

It is a further object of my present invention to provide the trip elements with plungers and actuate the latter by a slide cam so constructed as to require either of two plungers both of which are depressible by the cam to remain in properly depressed position throughout their working stroke despite the fact that the plungers move bodily about spaced centers and therefore have differing and opposed arcuate paths.

With these and other objects in view which'will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement :of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a conbe rendered active in response to the demands of venient embodiment of my invention is set forth, K

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a magazine equipped with my invention and reserve shuttle receiving shuttle boxes, together with the lay,

Fig. 2 is a plan view on an enlarged scale taken in the direction of'arrow 2, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an outside end elevation of the lower part of the magazine, taken in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 2, V

Fig. 4 is a detailed section through one of the stacks or groups of reserveshuttles showing the shuttle releaser,

Fig. 5 is a detail, partly in section, of one of the control plungers, and

Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of one of the cam slides.

In order that the invention set forth hereinafter may be more fully understood I will give first a description of those parts of the loom which control and are controlled by the selector mechanism which forms the subject matter of my present invention. Certain parts shown herein are similar to corresponding parts in the aforesaid application Serial No. 42,375.

The magazine M has inner and outer plates I I and I6I between which are arranged four stacks A, B, C and D of diverse reserve shuttles. The stacks are arranged in two pairs with a thin partition I62 between each pair, and the pairs may be separated by a verticalplate I63 having i vertical guide ribs I64 against which lie adjacent surfaces of the shuttles in the inner stacks. The back of the magazine has a brace I65 with shuttle guiding ribs I66, while a front brace I61 is provided with other vertical guide ribs I68. parts I62, I 63 and I61 are supported from the outer magazine plate I61. I

The magazine has four shuttle releasing rocking shafts I69, I10, Ill and I12 corresponding, re-

spectively, to'stacks A, B, C and D. Each shaft has secured thereto a shuttle supporting and releasing finger I13 and a reserve shuttle friction holding pad I14. Normally the supporting fingers are in the position suggested in Fig. 4 so that all of the shuttles in the stacks are supported, but when the shaft of a stack from which a reserve shuttle is to be drawn rocks, the supporting finger thereon moves from under the lowermost shuttle to permit the latter to fall on supports 226 carried by the lay L and at the same time the supporting pad I14 moves into position to prevent descent of the superposed reserve shuttles. These parts may be similar to the corresponding features of Patent No. 2,054,171, to which reference may be had for a more complete description of The.

the shuttle releasing and supporting mechanism.

A rod I4! extends upwardly from mechanism below the magazine, and is normally in down position. When the magazine is to deliver a reserve shuttle, however, rod I4'I is raised by mechanism not shown herein but clearly set forth in the aforesaid application.

That end of the lay adjacent the magazine will be provided with upper and lower shuttle boxes 230 and 23I, respectively, see Fig. 1 which are normally down so that the upper box is active. The lay carries shuttle supports 220 which project rearwardly far enough to receive a shuttle dropped from the rear stack of shuttles D. A plunger head 2|! is movable along the supports 220 toward the box 230 to advance any shuttle delivered by the magazine toward said box when the cover 236 for the latter is raised. The shuttle boxes rise for a shuttle change and the plunger 2II advances as the lay L moves rearwardly.

A lever I86 movable about a fixed axis I81 moves in response to changes in the pattern chain. This lever in the present instance is capable of occupying four different angular positions, one for each of the four weaving shuttles. By mechanism not shown herein but fully set forth in the aforesaid application the lever I86 is moved in anticipation of a box shift and assumes a position corresponding to a weaving shuttle about to become active.

Further reference may be had to the aforesaid application for a more detailed description of the matter thus far described.

Turning more particularly to my present invention I provide the lever I86 with an arm I0 having a slot I I to receive a pin I2 in a slide bar I3. The latter has two slots I4 and I5, respectively, through which the shafts I12 and I69 project, respectively. Washers I6 on these shafts are held in place by cotter pins I1 and prevent movement of the bar to the right as viewed in Fig. 2, while collars I8 serve to limit motion of the bar to the left. When the lever I86 rocks about its pivot I81 the bar I3 is reciprocated with respect to the shafts I12 and I69, and can assume any one of four positions of rest.

The bar has two cam lobes 20 and 2|, respectively, having inclined surfaces 22' which cooperate with a series of spring plungers 23, 24, 25 and 26. These plungers are all identical and may be as set forth in detail in Fig. 5, where plunger 23 is shown. This plunger has a head 21 fitting into a bore 28 in a carrier arm 33 and is provided with a stem 30 which projects to the left beyond the left edge of the arm. A compression coil spring 3| located in the bore 28 bears against part of the arm and also against the head to urge the latter to the right, motion being limited by a pin 32 through the stem 3!).

The plungers 23, 24, 25 and 26 are slidable'in carrier arms 33, 34, 35 and 36, respectively, and the arms in the order named are secured to the shafts I12, I'II, I10 and I69. It is apparent therefore that whenever any of the carrier arms is rocked down there will be an angular motion of the corresponding shaft and reserve shuttle release.

Loosely mounted on the shafts which carry the arms are four pressure levers, one for each arm, these levers being designated as shown in Fig. 2 at 40, 4|, 42 and 43, and each of these levers has a hub 44 rotatable about the corresponding shaft. A pin and slot connection 45 between levers 40 and 4| enables the latter to depress the former, and in a similar way a pin and slot connection 46 between levers 42 and 43 permits the latter to depress the arm 42.

In order that the levers may be rocked arm 50 integral with lever 4| is attached to a cable 52 which is trained over a sheave 53 down to a lever 54 movable about a fixed pivot 55. The rod I 41 is connected to the left end of .lever 54 in such a way that up motion of said rod I4'I will tension the cable 52 and thereforemove the arm 50 to the right as viewed in Fig. 3. A link 56 between the arm 50 and a similar upstanding arm 51 on lever 43 causes the latter to move down with the lever 4| when cable 52 is tensioned. At the same time the levers 40 and 42 are also depressed by the previously described pin and slot connections. Lever 40 has a foot 60 for engagement with the stem of plunger 23, and in a similar manner lever 42 has a foot 6| for engagement with the stem of plunger 25. The levers 4| and 43 are adapted for direct engagement with the corresponding stems of plungers 24 and 26.

During normal operation of the loom the bar I3 is shifted in accordance with the shifting of the drop boxes at the opposite end of the m. The lobes or cams 20 and 2| are so located that they can depress but one of the plungers at a time. As shown in Fig. 2 cam 20 has depressed plunger 23 laterally to the left so that the stem thereof is under the foot 60 of lever 40. When the bar I3 moves to other positions the several plungers will assume the position of plunger 23 in Fig. 2, one at a time, and in a succession determined by the pattern to be Woven. So long as all of the weaving shuttles carry enough weft for continued weaving the bar I3 will shift as described and the motions of the several plungers will be without effect.

When the weft detector not shown indicates that one of the shuttles is substantially empty the lever 54 will rock through action of rod I41 and all of the pressure levers 40, 4|, 42 and 43 will shift downwardly. At that time the bar I3 will be in a position to place the plunger corresponding to the empty shuttle for cooperation with the associated lever. In Fig. 2 it is assumed that the shuttle corresponding to plunger 23 is empty of weft, and said plunger is under the foot 50. As the latter moves down the arm 33 will rock in a left hand direction as viewed in Fig. 3 to rock the shaft I12, the effect of which is to move the corresponding support I13 from under the'stack corresponding thereto. The lowest reserve shuttle in the stack is therefore free to fall on the guide fingers 220, after which the shuttle changing operation will take place as described in the aforesaid application Serial No. 42,375. When rod I41 descends shaft I12 will be returned to normal position by spring 68, Fig. 3

It is to be understood that if any other shuttle should become exhausted the plunger correspond ing thereto will be placed under one or another of the levers 40 to 43, inclusive, to rock the associated shaft and cause release of a reserve shuttle from the corresponding stack.

It will be seen that the pressure levers which are moved by the cable 52 move about the same axis as do the arms which carry the plungers, and as a result of this construction there is no sub stantial relative motion between the levers and the plungers during their working strokes.

Rod I41 has its actuating stroke a short interval after the weft detector not shown indicates exhaustion of weft. Should a shuttle pass out of action after giving indication-of exhaustion the rod I41 will remain idle until the exhausted shuttle is about to return to action and the levers 40 to 43, inclusive, will be rocked after the bar H! has come to rest in a position to depress the plunger corresponding to the exhausted shuttle which has just returned to action.

In order that the plunger may remain depressed while temporarily coupling the associated carrier arm and pressure lever I provide the dwell face 10 of each of the cams 20 and 2| with a plate 15 extending down from the bar l3 sufficiently far to remain in engagement with the head of the depressed plunger for the full extent of the angular motion of the corresponding arms 33 to 36, inclusive, as shown in Fig. 6. In that figure the dot and dash are suggests the path of one of the plungers with respect to the plate I5, while the arc 8| suggests the path of the other plunger. It is to be understood that each plate cooperates with two plungers and that the latter move about spaced centers and have opposite motions with respect to each other. The plate 15 is therefore made wide enough to remain in contact with either of the plungers which it may engage.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple form of color control for shuttle changing looms wherein the shafts which efi'ect release of the shuttle are secured to carrier arms and serve also as pivots for the pressure levers which cooperate with the plungers to depress the arms.- It will further be seen that the plates 15 require each plunger to remain in its operating relation with respect to the corresponding levers 40 to 43, inclusive, throughout the entire operating stroke thereof, and that the plate is so proportioned as to sustain this relationship with respect to two adjacent plungers which move along difierent and oppositely disposed paths.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a multicolor shuttle changing loom, a magazine having groups of distinctive reserve shuttles, a reserve shuttle releaser for each group, a reciprocable member, a rockable element secured to each releaser, a carrier arm secured to each rockableelement, a plunger carried by each carrier arm, cam means on the reciprocable member to depress the plungers one at a time, and means operative when a shuttle changing operation of the loom is called toengage a depressed plunger and cause movement of the corresponding carrier arm and releaser.

2. In a multicolor shuttle changing loom, a magazine having groups of distinctive reserve shuttles, a reserve shuttle releaser for each group, a reciprocable member, a rockable element secured to each releaser, a carrier arm concentric with the rockable element, means to give the rockable element an operating stroke when a shuttle changing operation of the loom is indicated, and means controlled by the reciprocable member to couple the carrier arm and rockable element to cause rocking of the corresponding shuttle releaser.

3. In a multicolor shuttle changing loom, a magazine having groups of distinctive reserve shuttles, a reserve shuttle releaser for each group, a reciprocable member, a rockable element secured to each releaser, a carrier arm secured to and movable concentrically with each releaser, a pressure lever for each rockable element movable concentrically with the latter, means to give all the pressure levers an operating stroke. when a shuttle changing operation is indicated, and means including a cam on the reciprocable member to couple the carrier arm corresponding to the shuttle to be changed to the pressure lever moving concentrically therewith.

4. In a multicolor shuttle changing loom, a magazine having groups of distinctive reserve shuttles, a reserve shuttle releaser for each group, a reciprocable member, a rockable element secured to each releaser, a carrier arm secured toeach rockable element, a spring plunger located in each carrier arm, a pressure lever for each rockable element, each pressure lever being movable concentrically about the corresponding rockable element, means to give the pressure levers an operating stroke when a shuttle changing operation is indicated, and cam means on the reciprocable member to move the plunger of the car rier arm corresponding to the shuttle to be changed into the path of the pressure lever corresponding to the arm having the plunger thereof depressed.

5. In a multicolor shuttle changing loom, a plurality of groups of reserve shuttles, a reserve shuttle releaser for each group, a reciprocable cam capable of assuming a plurality of control positions, a carrier arm for each releaser, means defining a pivotal support for each releaser and corresponding carrier arm, a pressure lever for each carrier arm, means to give the pressure levers operating strokes when the loom is to have a shuttle changing operation, each lever rocking about the pivotal support of the corresponding carrier arm, and means controlled by the cam when the latter is in a control position and carried by the carrier arm corresponding to the group from which a reserve shuttle is to be drawn to couple the said carrier arm and the pressure lever movable concentrically therewith, whereby the releaser for the selected group is moved by the pressure lever concentric therewith.

6. In a multicolor shuttle changing loom, a magazine to hold a pair of reserve groups of shuttles, an angularly movable shuttle releaser for each group, a carrier arm secured to each releaser and movable angularly therewith, said carrier arms extending toward each other and being movable in opposite directions along diverging arcuate paths, a reciprocable cam capable of assuming two control positions, plungers carried one by each carrier arm for cooperation with the cam, the latter to depress one plunger only at a time, and means operative when a shuttle changing operation of the loom is indicated to engage a depressed plunger corresponding to one or the other of the control positions of the cam and move the corresponding carrier, said cam having a surface extending in the direction of the angular movement of the carrier arms and of sufficient length and width to maintain either plunger fully depressed throughout the angular movement of the carrier arm.

, ALBERT CEDERLUND. 

